July is National UV Safety Month. What better time to learn about skin cancer? According to the American Cancer Society, this disease affects more people in the U.S. than any other form of cancer. Nearly 3.3 million Americans have some form of skin cancer diagnoses every year. The Skin Cancer Foundation noted that seniors are at an increased risk of developing it. It’s crucial to know about these diseases to protect your health. Read on for some information on skin cancer:

What is healthy senior skin?

As you’ve grown older, you’ve likely noticed that your skin has changed. This largest organ of the body has likely become more dry and flaky, and doesn’t heal as quickly as it did when you were younger. The National Institutes of Health shared that skin thins out and loses fat content as people age. That is why you can likely see your veins and feel your bones more easily than you could a few years ago. You may have age spots and even experience some itching because your skin isn’t naturally soft and smooth anymore. Many seniors experience dry spots that feel rough and may flake. If this sounds familiar, try using a daily moisturizer and drink more water.

It’s typical to sweat less and produce a decreased amount of natural skin oil, so providing outside sources of moisture is key to keeping your skin supple and soft. Seniors also often find they bruise easily. Since your dermis is thinner than it has been in the past, it’s easier for something as seemingly innocuous as bumping into a table to turn into a large purple bruise. Your blood vessels aren’t as protected by multiple layers of fat and tissue. This can also increase your likelihood of developing skin cancer.

“The National Institutes of Health shared that skin thins out and loses fat content as people age.”

Types of skin cancer

There are three main types of skin cancer. Basal and squamous cell skin cancers begin in the outer layer of the skin. They tend to occur on areas of the body that are the most exposed to the sun, such as the hands, face, ears and neck. Squamous cancers are not especially common as they develop in the deeper layers of the skin and spread from there. Basal cell cancer is typically slow-growing and stays in one spot instead of metastasizing. Both of these types of the disease can be cured if they are treated before spreading.

The least common form of skin cancer is called melanoma. This disease starts in the melanocytes, or skin cells that contain brown skin pigment. When undamaged, this type of the dermis protects the skin’s deep layers from being damaged by the sun. Melanomas do not necessarily occur in places of the body that are exposed to the sun. While they may develop on the face or hands, for example, they can also be found in the eyes, inside the mouth or on the genitals. Melanoma is easily curable if it is caught right away, but it can quickly grow to other parts of the body and become hard to treat. This type of skin cancer is the most deadly, and can cause over 10,000 of the 13,650 skin cancer-related deaths in a year, according to the ACS.

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Rules of Engagement

The Consulate News & Media Center is a place for company news, stories, and respectful dialogue between the company and fellow staff members, residents and potential residents, their caregivers, and anyone interested in learning more about Consulate Health Care.

It is our goal is to encourage rewarding participation in the community while preventing misuse. Additionally, it is our responsibility to be mindful of the highly regulated nature of the healthcare industry which prevents us from discussing certain topics including legal and regulatory matters. Please do not take any of the information within the News & Media section as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Discussion Guidelines

Please read and adhere to the following discussion guidelines in order to help us foster an environment that is both respectful and engaging.

Be Responsible: Bear in mind that all information disclosed on the platform may become publicly available. Please exercise caution when commenting or disclosing potentially identifiable information.

Be Sensitive To Cultural Differences: Consulate Health Care is an organization comprised of talented people from all over the world. What may be acceptable or appropriate in one of our locations could be offensive to community members from other countries.

Add Value: When posting, comment on your area of expertise and provide unique, individual perspectives. Always do you best to post meaningful and respectful comments.

Confidential Information: Confidential information including but not limited to personal health information, regulatory information, and legal matters will not be permitted on the platform.

Solicitations: Commentary that shares unsolicited products, services, or content may be found in violation of the Rules of Engagement and removed without warning. Each commenter agrees to be subject to a comment moderation process when posting.

Reporting Misuse: We hope and expect that users will honor the Rules of Engagement. However, if you believe any post is in violation of these rules, you can submit a notification at the bottom of any post for review.

Modifications: Consulate reserves the right to modify or close access to and functionality of the site at its discretion and will update this policy regularly to comport with the law.

Posting times and unpublished posts: Posted comments will be moderated, and if approved, published with in 48 hours. Comments that are not acceptable according to our Rules of Engagement will not be published and will be reported to our Legal team for further review. Consulate Health Care reserves the right to remove any comment that does not conform to the policy.